DraftExpress Overseas Free Agent Rankings: Players 25-50January 3, 2010Jones took a temporary break from his apparent goal of attempting to play for all 30 teams in the NBA in favor of trying the European adventure instead, and he seems to be faring quite well so far despite being a rookie at this level. Jones has physical attributes for the wing position and is finally beginning to show more potential on the offensive end than he’s typically been known for. He’s averaging 13 points per game in 26 minutes on excellent efficiency numbers (64% 2P, 44% 3P) and is still the same terrific defender he’s been throughout his career. If the improvement he’s made as a perimeter shooter is indeed “for real,” then it’s certainly not out of the question that he could be a solid rotation player in the NBA. [Read Full Article]DraftExpress All-Orlando Pre-Draft Camp TeamsJune 15, 2006Solid as a rock would be the best way to describe the best perimeter defender in the 2006 draft. Jones wasn’t the flashiest player in Orlando, but he got the job done for his team every single time he stepped out on the floor by doing all the little things. Using his terrific height (6-7) and length (6-9.5), Jones shut down every single player he was asked to match up against, doing a fantastic job not only staying in front of his man, but also intimidating him enough with his quick hands and excellent strength and hustle to force him to give up the ball with his sheer peskiness. When given the opportunity, Jones looked quite content going down to the post to help out on the glass or even rotate over for a blocked shot on a smaller player.

Being the type of player who serves as the glue for his team rather than the catalyst, it took him some time to adjust to his teammates on both ends of the floor. He was fairly passive offensively to start things off, making some nice passes in transition and not really looking out too much for his own stats, but got better each day until his best performance in the last day of the camp. It was here that Jones showed off the fact that he shouldn’t be considered a strict offensive liability at the NBA level, as he looked for his shot more often, slashed his way to the hoop, scored on a pretty floater and a pull-up jumper, and generally made the right play almost every time he touched the ball, including making some more unselfish passes. Jones’ perimeter shot wasn’t falling for him at this camp as a whole just like it didn’t for the most part during his college career; he’ll have to work on his unorthodox shooting mechanics that never allow him to find a consistent release point. For the role he projects playing in the NBA, though, Jones showed his value here as well as at Portsmouth and likely solidified himself somewhere in the 2nd round. The strengths he brings to the table along with his high character and excellent intangibles will almost certainly land him an NBA job this coming season. [Read Full Article]Orlando Pre-Draft Camp: Day 3 (Last Update: 10:46 AM)June 8, 2006

Jones played his great defense as usual throughout the game. He was overly aggressive for much of the game however, which led to the other team picking up a lot of fouls. On the offensive end of the floor Jones struggled in the first half, turning the ball over while trying to create, and missing an open jumper. In the second half Jones improved on this half of the floor, and was able to draw a foul in transition, as well as knocking down a 22 footer in the flow of the offense. At this point, he struggles to get away from his defender to get open, and he turns it over frequently while handling the ball in traffic. Jones is probably the best defensive player here, but he will have to put in some work to become a competent offensive player at the next level. [Read Full Article]Bobby Jones NBA Draft Scouting ReportApril 11, 2006Strengths
Bobby Jones is a defensive stopper in the truest sense. He has great size and quickness and moves his feet intelligently, always staying in front of his man and taking great pride in harassing whoever he is guarding. He is a versatile defender as well; being used in college to defend any position on the court 1-5. Jones does a good job with post defense and he can defend shorter players on the perimeter as well. He is exceptional at sliding his feet from side to side, knowing when to extend or advance his on the ball defensive position and having the instincts to retreat backwards while staying in his defensive stance and keeping his technique.

He is not incredibly thick or bulky as a player physically but is a very good athlete overall. He runs the court well, can slash to the hoop, finish in traffic and make some agile plays while in the air. He is a quick leaper as well that can get off the ground in a hurry. Jones has a very good wingspan and uses it on defense to get into the passing lanes and pick up steals.

Jones is mostly a role player and doesn’t seem to have a problem with that. Offensively he is a decent slasher, being able to take a few short dribbles with his right hand to get to the hoop. Jones moves well without the ball, cutting to the basket and looking for opportunities to come up with cheap baskets in the paint. Once at the rim, he has the length and athleticism to finish well at the hoop.

Most of his scoring opportunities on offense will come in the form of put backs off offensive rebounds or layups created by teammates. Jones anticipates well and uses his quick leaping ability on the glass to get the ball at its highest point. For a SG or SF he is an above average rebounder, and can also use his length and quickness to get loose balls on defense and offense.

Bobby Jones is not going to be a star at the next level, instead he is your consummate role player who could be a true defensive stopper in the NBA under the right coach. The special thing about Jones is the defensive versatility he has shown in college, being asked to guard all positions on the floor. If asked to switch on a screen in the NBA this will come in very handy as he is used to defending all kinds of
offensive players, which will increase his value at the next level. He is a smart defender, and he just understands that part of the game.

It would have been very easy for Jones, a starter for years at Washington to demand more shots and more of a role on offense. He did not do that though, he just did what was asked of and in many ways relished and grew into that role. If asked to set screens he did that, if asked to defend a bigger, larger player than him in the post he did that, if asked to guard a quick athletic scoring guard he did that as well.

In terms of intangibles, Jones is about as solid as they come. His coaches rave about his work ethic and attitude off the court, and he’s known as a quiet hard-working type off the court as well.

Weaknesses
The biggest concern about Jones is whether he is going to be an offensive liability at the next level.

For a player that is going to be a SG/SF in the NBA, he does not handle the basketball very well, particularly with his left hand. He is effective when he can take one or two steps and go to the hoop; however he has shown problems effectively handling the ball for longer periods of time than that. That will hurt him because he has the athletic ability to finish strong at the hoop and still does at times, but it makes him less of an offensive weapon because he cannot attack off the dribble as effectively as most guards or wings.

To truly develop into the type of role player that can be valuable to an NBA team, Jones must continue to hone his perimeter shooting. He has shown the ability to knock down 3-pointers over his career at Washington, but has been very streaky and hasn’t always had to green light from his coaching staff to take these types of shots. He has range on his jumper, but his mechanics are the main thing holding him back, releasing the ball from too far in front of his body in a way that does not allow him to get a consistent release point on his shot. Jones can knock down 3’s with his feet set, but when pressured he struggles to get it off. Jones will not be a great three-point shooter at the next level, but for the defense to respect him he will have to improve that part of his game a great deal

With his lack of consistent slashing and perimeter shooting skills, Jones is a fairly limited player who needs offense created for him by teammates. It’s not so much strictly a lack of ability that is the sole concern with Jones, but also a tendency to be extremely passive on the court and pass up wide open shots on the offensive end. Jones dispelled these concerns a bit with the way he performed at Portsmouth, but the tapes from his senior year show otherwise.

Ideally, Jones would have an offensive game equal to the greatness of his defensive game, but he does not. However in the NBA defensive players can usually stay on the court longer than just pure offensive players can because they are not a liability on defense. With that being the case if he shows any glimpse of an offensive game be it short put backs off offensive rebounds or just simply hitting the open jump shot, he should be able to find a way to stay on the floor.

Competition
Statistics really don’t do Jones credit because statistics do not numerically chart the impact a defensive player can make on the game outside of steals, rebounds and blocks, which he refuses to gamble for just to pad his numbers. Where Jones is a standout is his defensive foot speed and technique on the defensive end. He has put up some solid games in a solid Pac-10 conference however. No matter if he is matched up against a guard or a post player, he will always do a very solid job on the defensive end.

Outlook
Jones likely has the athletic ability and the defensive ability to stick in the NBA until he develops the rest of his game. His overall weaknesses in ball handling and shooting will limit what he can
do at the next level, however, a defender is a defender and at his size with his athletic skills, he can play at the next level and be a great defensive stopper.

If he shoots the three like he did as a sophomore or senior he will be in trouble, but since he has proven he can play guard and is not considered just a skinny post player he is currently is a solid 2nd round pick potentially.

What greatly helped his stock beyond his showing at Portsmouth was his performance against Dee Brown and James Augustine in the NCAA tournament. This was a great showcase of how he can change a game with his on the ball and post defense.

[Read Full Article]Portsmouth Invitational Tournament: RecapApril 11, 2006Hands down the best swingman at the camp, Bobby Jones looked like a legit NBA player in nearly every move he made. The only complaint we have that he only got to play in two games because of his team failing to win either of its matchups. Jones is a player that was going to be on the radar no matter what because of his terrific size, length and athleticism at the 2/3 positions. He looks like an NBA player, but unfortunately rarely played like one in his senior year at Washington. Whether that was because of his role on the team or from personal choice we'll never know, but Jones made us forget about all of that immediately when he stepped on the floor. He shot the ball surprisingly well from the NCAA 3-point line as well as the NBA line, showing slightly awkward shot mechanics from in front of his body that prevent him from getting a consistent release point. His ball-handling skills also looked questionable playing in the NCAA, but Jones didn't have much of a problem getting to the basket here with his right hand (not with his left), and is intelligent enough to not over-use his handling. These will be the two things NBA teams look closest at to gauge just how high he should get drafted, and gauge they will, considering how popular the defensive stopper will be to invite to work out against top prospects. Some will make the case for him for being the best defensive swingman in the draft, and it will be up to Jones to dispel that in private workouts and the Orlando pre-draft camp. [Read Full Article]NCAA Tournament: NBA Draft Stock Watch (Sweet Sixteen, Friday games)March 25, 2006Bobby Jones once again showed why he is considered one of the premier defenders in all of college basketball with the way he disrupted Rudy Gay in the first half. Unable to get the ball in good position, Gay took some bad shots as a result of Jones’ tough defense, and was taken out of the game early. Though he found himself in foul trouble, and eventually fouled out late in the game, Jones was able to also add 9 points by using his length to finish very smoothly near the basket. He lacks the consistent outside shot you like to see from a player at the next level, but Bobby Jones’ defense will definitely get him invited to workouts against top prospects. If he can improve his offensive game to the point that he’s not considered a liability on the floor and have a solid showing at Portsmouth, Jones has a shot of being making and sticking with an NBA team looking for a defensive stopper. [Read Full Article]NCAA Tournament: Stock Watch (round of 32, Saturday games)-- Stock UPMarch 19, 2006Jones’ performance in the tournament didn’t raise his stock as much as it reaffirmed to everyone watching just how versatile of a defender he is and how valuable his presence on the floor can be in important situations.

People often say that a player “can guard any position on the floor, from 1-5,” but rarely do we see this ever happen to way we did tonight. Jones drew the assignment of defending Illinois’ best player, Dee Brown, to start off the game, a point guard who is 7 inches shorter and significantly faster than him. He did a fantastic job bothering him and disrupting Illinois’ entire offense, helping his team hold them to 4-25 shooting in the first fifteen minutes of the game, and forcing Brown into possibly the worst stretch of his season. When 6-10 center James Augustine started getting hot it was Jones who was asked to defend him, and again did a terrific job keeping the ball out of his hands.

Offensively it was the same story we’ve grown accustomed to all year, a short jumper from the post, a lay-up and a couple of missed threes. His ball-handling and perimeter shooting skills aren’t enough to allow him to do much more, and even if they did, Jones is probably too unselfish to make that happen.

Whether there is a place in the NBA for a player in his mold is a question we’ll only have the answer to in a few months. Logic would say that a player with his attitude and outstanding intangibles would get some serious looks considering what a game changer he can be with his defensive ability, along with the fact that he’s shown the ability the hit the open 3-pointer at a good clip in the past, a la Bruce Bowen. He’s the kind of player that could really make some fans for himself amongst NBA executives if he does what he does best at a pre-draft camp or two. [Read Full Article]NCAA Tournament: Washington Bracket NBA Draft ProspectsMarch 12, 2006It hasn't been a great season for Bobby Jones. Always known as more of a defensive specialist, many expected to see more from him on the offensive end this season. Where Brandon Roy stepped into the go-to scoring role with all sorts of success, Jones has actually regressed. His scoring average has dropped, and he has gone cold from the perimeter. One has to wonder if he has the skill to become a full time perimeter player in the NBA, particularly in terms of his ball-handling skills. Jones has plenty of time to turn things around, and a solid offensive showing in the NCAA Tournament would be a good start. [Read Full Article]Top 15 NBA Draft Prospects in the Pac-10October 19, 2005Jones has spent much of his career in a supporting role to Washington’s more prolific scoring guards. He still managed to carve out a role as a defensive specialist, and throw in a few high flying dunks for good measure. While Jones probably has some adjusting to do before he’s ready to be a full-time wing in the NBA, he is athletic and tough enough to do just that. This season is Jones’ chance to prove himself to NBA scouts. [Read Full Article]